Arun Jaitley slams 'phoney' Lokpal Bill

A determined Opposition today forced brief adjournment of the Rajya Sabha demanding presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the debate on Lokpal Bill, which was moved in the House on the last day of the winter session.

NEW DELHI: A determined Opposition today forced brief adjournment of the Rajya Sabha demanding presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the debate on Lokpal Bill, which was moved in the House on the last day of the winter session.

Immediately after Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Narayanasamy moved for consideration the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011, BJP members were on their feet asking where the Prime Minister, who is also the Leader of the House, was.

Despite repeated assurances by Chairman Hamid Ansari that the Prime Minister was on his way to the House, the Opposition members did not relent charging that the government is "not interested".

Ansari wanted that the Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley should initiate the debate. But as the din continued, he adjourned the House for 10 minutes. The proceedings resumed only after the Prime Minister reached the House and Jaitley began his speech.

Arun Jaitley slammed the 'phoney bill' and mocked Rahul Gandhi's reference to the bill as a 'game changer'. He said games don't change with phoney institutions.

"We don't want a weak and hollow law. We will oppose this with fervor. We are here today with the hope that the government's weak bill will be rejected by this House. But this House should also not leave today without delivering a strong law. So let us accept amendments suggested by other parties, if they make this law stronger. Let us show we can deliver an effective law. Parliament and politics both have great power and strength. We decide the laws of the country," Arun Jailtey said.

In a sharp attack on the government on the Lokpal bill's key points Jaitley questioned why the government wanted to control the appointment and removal procedure of the Lokpal. Questioning the government's real motive, Jaitley demanded an immediate change in this clause.

"Govt's politics was totally transparent. To create a smokescreen - that we are talking to civil society reps. You wanted to create a phony Lokpal and create a smokescreen that we are giving it constitutional status. You wanted to make it a toy and then say it's a constitutional authority. Country does not need this sort of Lokpal. This is what you described as a game-changer. Games don't change with such phony institutions," he said.

Listing specific changes the BJP wanted in the bill, Jaitley accused the government of destroying institutions. PTI